191 episodes

Open City is a charity dedicated to making architecture and built heritage more open, accessible and equitable. This feed includes our weekly show, The Brief which features news and analysis covering the big issues in British architecture, heritage, housing and planning. We also release longer form shows breaking down big issues connecting urbanism and politics with in-depth discussion. Our shows are hosted by a roster of architectural critics and practitioners, featuring guests from across architecture and design, as well as artists, academics, policy makers and journalists.
Open City Friends get early, ad-free access to all Open City podcasts, and help support accessible independent journalism and life-changing education programmes. Sign up as an Open City Friend today.
This show is made possible in part by Bloomberg Connects, a free mobile app featuring guides to over 200 museums, galleries and cultural spaces.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Open City Open City

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.7 • 51 Ratings

Open City is a charity dedicated to making architecture and built heritage more open, accessible and equitable. This feed includes our weekly show, The Brief which features news and analysis covering the big issues in British architecture, heritage, housing and planning. We also release longer form shows breaking down big issues connecting urbanism and politics with in-depth discussion. Our shows are hosted by a roster of architectural critics and practitioners, featuring guests from across architecture and design, as well as artists, academics, policy makers and journalists.
Open City Friends get early, ad-free access to all Open City podcasts, and help support accessible independent journalism and life-changing education programmes. Sign up as an Open City Friend today.
This show is made possible in part by Bloomberg Connects, a free mobile app featuring guides to over 200 museums, galleries and cultural spaces.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Museum of London’s contentious demolition cleared for approval

    Museum of London’s contentious demolition cleared for approval

    This week Merlin's joined by John Elledge, a journalist and author of the new book “A History of the World in 47 Borders: The Stories Behind the Lines on Our Maps”.
    Museum of London’s contentious demolition cleared for approval // Government minister accused of misleading ‘15-minute city’ claims // How an AI deep fake video conned an engineer out of £20 million pounds // And the new ‘anti-boring architecture’ masters course brought to you by Heatherwick Studio
    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.
    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.
    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.
    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 36 min
    Calls for new public ballots on all tall buildings above 60 metres

    Calls for new public ballots on all tall buildings above 60 metres

    This week Merlin's joined by Alpa Depani, an architect and the head of strategic planning and design at the London borough of Waltham Forest.
    Calls for new public ballots on all tall buildings above 60 metres // House building drops to its lowest level since the pandemic // Single-sex toilets to be required in all new public buildings in England // And Norman Foster calls on architects worldwide to help reconstruct Kharkiv
    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.
    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.
    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.
    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.
    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.
    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.
    

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 33 min
    Labour vows to build on the ‘grey-belt’ and deliver 1.5 million homes

    Labour vows to build on the ‘grey-belt’ and deliver 1.5 million homes

    This week Sahiba spoke to Charles Holland; the architect and author of the new book 'How to Enjoy Architecture: A Guide for Everyone'
    // Labour vows to build on the ‘grey-belt’ and deliver 1.5 million homes // Birmingham set to refuse controversial tower above a listed hospital // Scottish architects condemn the ditching of climate targets // And how can we look beyond the day-to-day familiarity of buildings to truly enjoy architecture? //
    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.
    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.
    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.
    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.
    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.
    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.
    

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 39 min
    Gender pay gap widening among UK architectures biggest firms

    Gender pay gap widening among UK architectures biggest firms

    This week Merlin spoke to the architect, author and columnist Eleanor Jolliffe
    // Sadiq Khan pledges to end rough sleeping in the capital // The Grenfell Inquiry’s final report delayed yet again // Gender pay gap widening among UK architectures biggest firms // And the AJ and SAVE launch a competition to rethink demolition plans for the M&S on Oxford Street //
    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.
    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.
    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.
    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.
    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.
    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.
    

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 37 min
    Rent rises set to outpace wage growth for next three years

    Rent rises set to outpace wage growth for next three years

    This week Merlin spoke to the Chief Executive of Camden Highline, Simon Pitkeathley
    // Rent rises set to outpace wage growth for next three years // Outrage over King Charles’ ‘ideal town’ proposal in Kent // Contentious Barbican demolition plans tipped for approval // And the fascination with forbidden spaces; how Camden Highline is opening up a whole new part of London //
    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.
    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.
    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.
    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.
    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.
    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.
    

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 33 min
    Brutalism and Biodiversity

    Brutalism and Biodiversity

    In this episode Paul spoke to the landscape architect, urban designer and Director of Landscape and Placemaking at Peabody, Dr Phil Askew. Their discussion centered around the landscape-led regeneration of Thamesmead; the brutalist post-war townscape in south east London hailed as the ‘town of tomorrow’.
    You can find an online version of Landscape for free here

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 28 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
51 Ratings

51 Ratings

Daria00007 ,

One of the best London podcasts

I love how it is talking about the history of different places across London, how the politics tie into what’s going on and covering recent news. But what I appreciate the most is that it’s covering all Boroughs of London but just ‘oh here’s what’s happening in London Bridge’

TP¥ ,

Good in parts

This podcast is sometimes good.
However sometimes it is just like listening to some left wing drunk in a pub making weak and naive and oversimplified and one sided arguments about why the tories are bad. Yawn. Please edit the naive bits out or get some guests who are capable of presenting two sides of an argument

KCruns ,

Mix of interesting architecture news and simplistic, naive opinions.

The principal presenters Merlin and Phin generally present interesting London based architecture news stories but co-presenters and guests increasingly are clearly reading from scripts which hugely detracts from their credibility. Also there is a consistent undercurrent of simplistic and naive opinions and critique given without suggesting any viable alternatives. Oh and seemingly there has to be at least one naive anti-police ‘story’ per episode.

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